-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It 's a perennial problem . How do you persuade young , apathetic voters to go to the polls ? Enter `` Voteman '' -- Denmark 's rather ill-judged and short-lived cartoon solution .

The cartoon opens with two apparently politically disaffected young men . The scene switches to Voteman , a muscle-bound , stubble-chinned superhero , answering a call asking him to persuade voters to have their say in the upcoming European Parliament elections .

Naked , he leaps up from a bed surrounded by women apparently performing sex acts on him and -- having donned a leather waistcoat and trousers -- sets off from a Bond villain-esque island hideout on his mission , riding a pair of harnessed dolphins as waterskis .

An orgy of cartoon violence follows -- one of the original men is decapitated , while other would-be non-voters are punched , slapped and tossed through the windows of a polling station to vote .

The cartoon is the unlikely creation of the Danish Parliament 's EU information center , originally posted to its official YouTube page .

Less surprisingly perhaps , it has now been pulled and an apology made for its graphic sexual and violent content .

Mogens Lykketoft , speaker of the Danish Parliament , said in a statement on his Facebook page that many people had perceived the cartoon as `` more serious and offensive than it was intended , and see it as talking down to the youth .

`` Reaction in social media is sharply divided between those who see this as unacceptably vulgar , and those who think it is tough but acceptable humor which brings attention to the vote on May 25 .

`` The latter was the intention . But I acknowledge that Parliament , as an institution , in future has to show more caution in what we put our name to . ''

The cartoon tells the story of how Voteman , as a young man , once forgot to vote in European Parliament elections .

This , the narration says , taught him a painful lesson : `` No influence on climate regulations , agricultural subsidies , chemicals in toys -- and the amount of cinnamon allowed in his cinnamon buns .

`` Horrified by this , he decided he would dedicate his life to making everybody vote . So if you 're not going to vote , do n't try to run , do n't try to hide , because he will find you . And he will make you vote . ''

The European Parliament elections , in which voters in each of the European Union 's member states elect representatives to the body , are taking place across Europe next week . May 25 is the day on which Danish voters will go to the polls .

Denmark 's turnout for the last European elections in 2009 was close to 60 % , well above the European average of 43 % .

CNN 's Kim Norgaard contributed to this report .

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Cartoon uses muscle-bound character called Voteman to persuade people to vote

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Voteman is depicted in a series of sexually suggestive and violent scenes

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Parliament speaker apologizes , says cartoon was `` more serious and offensive '' than intended

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Danish Parliament 's EU information center created cartoon ahead of European elections